True Tales & A Cherry On Top

Magic Trash

2012-02-27T00:03:00.000-08:00

A Story of Tyree Guyton and His Art

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

(pub. 10.1.2011) 32 pages

A uthor: J. H. Shapiro
and Illustrator: Vanessa Brantley-
Newton

C haracter: Tyree Guyton

O verview from the jacket flap:

"Vacant lots. Abandoned houses. Trash - lots of trash. Heidelberg Street was in trouble!
   Tyree Guyton loved his childhood home - that's where his grandpa Sam taught him to 'paint the world.' So he wanted to wake people up ... to make them see Detroit's crumbling communities.
   Paintbrush in hand, Tyree cast his artistic spell, transforming everyday junk into magic trash. Soon local kids and families joined Tyree in rebuilding their neighborhood, discovering the healing power of art along the way.
     Tyree Guyton, a sculptor and painter, founded the Heidelberg Project, located on Detroit's East side, in 1986. For the last twenty-five years, his art and community activism have inspire people to see how art can create positive change in their lives."

T antalizing taste:

     "His mama didn't earn enough money sewing and cleaning to buy new shoes, much less bikes and balls. So he zapped fun into amazing junk that others tossed away.
      Popsicle sticks became boards to build a house. The cap soared like a rocket ship. The wheel bounced, spokes jumping. Dots danced.
     Let rockets fly!
     Board tower high.
   Bounce, jump, and dance, magic trash!"

and something more:   Here's a great photo of Tyree and Jane at the Heidelberg Project in Detroit which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. I love hearing about the story behind the story -- what inspired the author to write the book. On her website, Jane Shapiro explains that when she was living in East Lansing, Michigan, she "discovered Tyree Guyton's art at the Kresge Art Museum [which is now closed, but a new museum at Michigan State University will open this Spring], and began writing Magic Trash." As I too am a school group docent at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, I was interested to learn that Jane is currently a docent at the Portland Art Museum. Sharing time with children in art museums is definitely a great place to get story ideas!

Back of the Bus

2012-02-12T17:55:00.000-08:00

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Wrapped in Foil

Philomel Books (Penguin)
(pub. 9.1.2011) 32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Aaron Reynolds
and Illustrator: Floyd Cooper

C haracter: Rosa Parks

O verview from the publisher:
"It seems like any other winter day in Montgomery, Alabama. Mama and child are riding where they're supposed to - way in the back of the bus. The boy passes the time by watching his marble roll up and down the aisle with the motion of the bus, until from way up front a big commotion breaks out. He can't see what's going on, but he can see the policeman arrive outside and he can see Mama's chin grow strong. 'There you go, Rosa Parks," she says, "stirrin' up a nest of hornets. Tomorrow all this'll be forgot.' But they both know differently.

With childlike words and powerful illustrations, Aaron Reynolds and Coretta Scott King medalist Floyd Cooper recount Rosa Parks' act of defiance through the eyes of a child - who will never forget."

T antalizing taste:

"I take out my marble
and start to hide it in my squeezy-tight fist.
But instead, I hold it up to the light
right out in the open.
That thing shines all brown and golden in the sunlight,
like it's smilin', I think.
'Cuz it ain't gotta hide no more."

and something more: I've always guided my students to read the dedications in books, and Back of the Bus has a touching one from Aaron Reynolds: "To my parents, Paul and Barbara Reynolds, who taught me to believe in myself."

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

2012-02-06T00:03:00.000-08:00

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Capstone Connect

Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin)

(pub. 1.19. 2012) 32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: William Kamkwamba
and Bryan Mealer
and Illustrator: Elizabeth Zunon

C haracter: William Kamkwamba

O verview from the jacket flap:

"Heroes can be any age. When William Kamkwamba was fourteen years old, living in a drought-ravaged area of Malawi in Africa, he pursued a dream that brought electricity and running water to his desperately poor village.
William had always been interested in how mechanical things work, and after poring over old science textbooks, painstakingly teaching himself English so that he could understand them, he became determined to build a windmill [that would bring] electricity to his home and eventually life-saving water to his village.
Lyrically told and gloriously illustrated, Williams' story shows how - no matter how young you are or how huge the challenge - creativity, determination, and hard work can help save your world."

T antalizing taste:

"He dreamed of building things and taking them apart,
like the trucks with bottle-cap wheels parked under his bed
and pieces of radios that he'd crack open and wonder,
If I can hear the music, then where is the band?"

and something more: For the first book honoring Black History Month, I chose The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind because it's illustrated by Liz Zunon, the incredible artist who illustrated the book I wrote, My Hands Sing the Blues - Romare Bearden's Childhood Journey. Liz again creates evocative art using oil paint and cut paper collages. Although it's difficult to choose, one of my favorite illustrations in this book is the page that's similar to the cover. But instead of showing the boy with eyes open on a bright day with the functioning windmill as on the cover, this illustration shares the moment when William, with his eyes gently closed, imagines the possibility of the swirling windmill "pulling electricity from the breeze and bringing light to the dark valley." So beautiful!
Visit Liz's website to see a photo of children in Malawi, William's village, holding books sent to them by Pearson's We Give Books Campaign.
This past Saturday, Liz participated in the The 20th Annual African American Children's Book Fair in Philadelphia with a host of other amazing authors and illustrators.

Betsy Ross

2012-01-30T00:03:00.000-08:00

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Wendie's Wanderings

Holiday House

(pub. 9.12.2011) 32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Becky White
and Illustrator: Megan Lloyd

C haracter: Betsy Ross

O verview from the jacket flap:

"Betsy ripped.
Rip, rip,
Seven rich,
Crimson strips.

Inch by inch, bit by bit, Betsy Ross clips, dips, and stitches.
What is she making?"

T antalizing taste:

"Betsy snipped.

Snip, snip.

Thirteen stars.

Zip, zip.

Betsy dipped.

Dip, dip.

Indigo dye.

Drip, drip."

and something more: In Betsy Ross, Becky White's sparse text (64 words) and Megan Lloyd's "dyed, clipped, and stiched" illustrations perfectly convey the essence of Betsy Ross' creation of the American flag.
And the Author's Note includes a discussion of the stars that I hadn't heard before: "According to legend ... George Washington made a pencil sketch for the flag in 1776 ... each star having six points. However, Betsy Ross thought that five-pointed stars would look nicer. When George Washington said that this type was too difficult to cut, Betsy Ross showed him how to cut a five-pointed star with a single clip of her scissors." The back matter then gives step-by-step instructions of how to fold paper or fabric, and then with one snip of the scissors "Make Your Own Betsy Ross Star." I think I'll see if the second graders in the class in which I volunteer want to try it!

She Loved Baseball

2012-01-16T00:02:00.000-08:00

The Effa Manley Story

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by The Swimmer Writer

Harper Collins Childrens

(pub. 10.19.2010) 32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Audrey Vernick
and Illustrator: Don Tate

C haracter: Effa Manley

O verview from the jacket flap:

"Effa Manley always loved baseball. As a young woman, she would go to Yankee Stadium just to see Babe Ruth's mighty swing. But she never dreamed she would someday own a baseball team. Or be the first—and only—woman ever inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

From her childhood in Philadelphia to her groundbreaking role as business manager and owner of the Newark Eagles, Effa Manley always fought for what was right. And she always swung for the fences."

T antalizing taste:

"As Effa grew up in Philadelphia in the early 1900s, America grew up too. Bold new music - jazz - blared and folks stepped out in strange new shoes called sneakers... [In] 2006... Suttles and Mackey - and ten other Negro League players - were finally inducted into the Hall of Fame. Effa would have been so proud. Something else happened that day - something amazing. Effa was inducted along with them!.... On Effa's gravestone it says: "SHE LOVED BASEBALL. In 2006, baseball proved it loved her back."

and something more: The teacher activity guide for She Loved Baseball - The Effa Manley Story posted on Audrey Vernick's website proposes an interesting activity for students:

"Effa grew up in the 1920’s listening to a new kind of music—jazz—
and sneakers were all the rage. If someone were to write a
biography about your life, what kind of music would be mentioned? What
about a fashion trend? Draw an illustration of yourself like the one Don
Tate created of Effa listening to jazz music. In the background, add some of your favorite things that are popular in today’s culture."

What type of music would accompany your biography? I think I would have different music for different phases of my life.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. HOLIDAY

And, in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day today, The King Center Imaging Project’s website – www.thekingcenter.org/archive – will go live today. The King Center Imaging Project is a digitization effort to preserve and make publicly available the tens of thousands of documents from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other key figures and organizations from the Civil Rights Movement housed at The King Center.

On the King Center site, Coretta Scott King writes that "The Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday celebrates the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America. We commemorate as well the timeless values he taught us through his example — the values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility and service that so radiantly defined Dr. King’s character and empowered his leadership. On this holiday, we commemorate the universal, unconditional love, forgiveness and nonviolence that empowered his revolutionary spirit."

The Flying Machines of Alberto Santos-Dumont

2012-01-08T20:47:00.000-08:00

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Great Kid Books

Abrams Books for Young Readers

(pub. 9.1.2011) 32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Victoria Griffith
and Illustrator: Eva Montanari

C haracter: Alberto Santos-Dumont

O verview from the jacket flap:

"When the Wright Brothers were gliding in the air over Kitty Hawk, a charming Brazilian named Alberto Santos-Dumont was making his own mark on the history of flight. Alberto loved floating over the crowded streets of Paris in his personal flying machine called a dirigible... In the early 1900s, Alberto had the skies to himself. But he wanted to fly farther and faster than his dirigible could take him... After several years of hard work, Alberto was ready to try out his new flying machine, which had been transformed from a balloon to a box with wings! ... Beautifully illustrated and full of little-known facts about the history of aviation, this book will enlighten young readers about who really flew the first airplane!"

T antalizing taste:

"'I tell you,' said Alberto ... 'these machines will mean the end of all wars. Once people are able to fly to different countries, they will see how much we have in common. We will all be friends.'"

and something more: I had never hear of Alberto Santos-Dumont, and I was fascinated by the back story of The Fabulous Flying Machines of Alberto Santos-Dumont. Victoria Griffith explains in her Author's Note that it began with "an unremarkable response to an unremarkable question." Victoria had asked her daughter what she had learned in school one particular day, and her daughter had answered, "'We learned how the Wright Brothers invented the airplane.'" Victoria explains that she "was unprepared for [her] Brazilian husband's reaction. 'That's ridiculous!' he exclaimed, horrified. 'Everyone knows that Alberto Santos-Dumont invented the airplane.'" Victoria, a correspondent for fifteen years to the UK's Financial Times "was intrigued [and] decided to find out more and discovered that the claim to the invention remains controversial." I'm so glad Victoria has shared Alberto's story and his contribution to history.

The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse

2011-12-26T00:02:00.000-08:00

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Jennifer at Jean Little Library

Philomel Books (Penguin Young Readers Group)

(pub. 10.24.2011) 32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor and illustrator: Eric Carle

C haracter: a boy (and the artists, Franz Marc and Eric Carle)

O verview from the jacket flap:

"In this book, a child paints a blue horse. Then, with growing confidence, the young artist joyfully paints a series of other animals in bold, unrealistic colors and forms... Through his eloquent pictures and an almost wordless text, Eric Carle will inspire young artists everywhere to use their imaginations. They don't have to 'stay within the lines.' And there certainly are no 'wrong' colors. Here is a book to give all children confidence in their own creativity!"

T antalizing taste: There are only about 50 words in this book, and these are my favorite: "I am a good artist."

and something more: In The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse, Eric Carle's homage to not only Franz Marc, but his childhood art teacher is so touching. The back cover explains that, "Eric Carle was born in the United States but grew up in Germany, where he spent his boyhood during World War II. There, his high school art teacher secretly showed him works by the so-called 'degenerate artists.' These artists, banned by the Nazi regime, were actually the leading masters of modern and abstract art, among them Franz Marc, whose work was not permitted to be shown in public."

The note at the end of the book explains that when Eric Carle's art teacher, Herr Krauss, secretly showed him some of the forbidden art, he explained, "'I like the freedom and loosesness in the way you draw and paint ... but I am only permitted to teach realistic art.'" Eric Carle pays tribute to his art teacher, "My green lion, polka-dotted donkey and other animals painted in the 'wrong' colors were really born that day seventy years ago." Thank you, Herr Krauss, for sharing the banned art with Eric Carle -- oh, how I love the art of his picture books!

Olivia's Birds

2011-12-19T00:02:00.000-08:00

Saving the Gulf

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Practically Paradise

Sterling Children's Books

(pub. 4.5.2011) 32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor and illustrator: 11-year old Olivia Bouler

C haracters: birds

O verview from the jacket flap:

"Written in her own words, this spectacular picture book by budding ornithologist and artist Olivia Bouler is a unique field guide to backyard and endangered birds... it brings the beauty of more than fifty different birds to life and celebrates her brave efforts to save those affected by the 2010 Gulf oil spill... Also included are easy-to-do, everyday ways kids of all ages can get involved, take a stand, and make the world a cleaner, safer, better place."

T antalizing taste:

"In April 2010, my grandparents told me about a giant oil spill that had happened in the Gulf of Mexico, deep under the water. The oil was going to hurt all kinds of marine animals that lived there, including birds like pelicans that have just come off the endangered species lists. I got really upset. My first memory of birds is of the Brown Pelicans and the Great Blue Herons that live in Alabama. My granny and granddad would take me fishing and show me those beautiful birds. Who was going to save them?"

and something more: During this season of giving, I thought it was particularly appropriate to highlight Olivia Bouler's generous gifts of her time, efforts, and creativity. The "About the Author" of Olivia's Birds Saving the Gulf states that "... Olivia received the ASPCA's 'Tommy P. Monahan' Kid of the Year Award for her commitment and dedication to animal welfare. She currently spends much of her time working on various environmental efforts and attending speaking engagements aross the country on behalf of bird and wildlife advocacy. To date, Olivia has drawn over 120 different species of birds and created over 500 paintings to raise more than $150,000 for her Save the Gulf campaign." Bravo! What a great role model for other kids AND adults. My favorite illustration painted by Olivia is the watercolor of the three vivid blue birds swirling around the globe. Terrific!

Levi Strauss Gets a Bright Idea

2011-12-05T00:03:00.000-08:00

A Fairly Fabricated Story
of a Pair of Pants

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Gathering Books

Harcourt Childrens Books (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

(pub. 9.13.2011) 32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Tony Johnston
and illustrator: Stacy Innerst

C haracter: Levi Strauss

O verview from the publisher:

"What's a California miner to do when gold dust sifts right out of his holey pockets? With such a raggedy wardrobe, he may as well be mining in the vanilla - that is, his birthday suit! Good thing Levi Strauss is out west, ready with his needle and a head full of bright ideas. With some quick thinking, quicker stitching, and handy arithmetic, Levi keeps all the gold rushers clothed - and become a modern American hero."

T antalizing taste:

"GOLD! somebody yelled. Next thing anybody knew, the whole world rushed to California an started digging up the place. The trouble was, they rushed so fast, they lost their pants.'"

and something more: In Levi Strauss Gets a Bright Idea, Tony Johnston weaves, sews and tailors a wonderfully humorous tale about Levi Strauss. I love that Stacy Innerst chose to paint the pictures on old Levi's. Since I live in Levi Strauss territory (San Francisco area), I often walk through the lovely Levi Plaza. And there's a fun set of displays featuring the history of Levi's in the visitors center at Levis headquarters there at 1155 Battery Street. Gotta love Levis!

Joan of Arc

2011-11-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by A Curious Thing

Marshall Cavendish Childrens

(pub. 9.1.2011) 40 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor and illustrator: Demi

C haracter: Joan of Arc

O verview from the jacket flap:

"As a young girl in a small village in France, Joan prayed daily that France would be delivered from the English and Burgundian invaders who were ravishing the country. When Joan was thirteen, she had a life-changing experience. The archangel Michael appeared in a vision and told her that she would save the kingdom of France and lead the dauphin (heir to the throne) to Reims Cathedral to be crowned king. Calling herself the Maid of God, Joan set off to gather an army, win a number of crucial battles, and install the dauphin on the French throne..."

T antalizing taste:

"'Joan's great confidence inspired everyone, and soon the battle for Orleans began ... With her banner that said, "Jesus, Maria' raised high, she gave great courage and hope to all the soldiers... Never stopping for a moment of praise ..."

and something more: Exquisite is truly the word that comes to mind when I savored Demi's illustrations. The jacket flap explains that "Demi has drawn Joan’s battles and triumphs with exquisite detail inspired by the stained glass, architecture, painting, and sculpture of the fifteenth century."

Demi so aptly conveys the bleakness of Joan of Arc's situation when she was "shut up in a dungeon at Rouen ... guarded night and day by soldiers and forced to endure their brutality" by rendering the illustration of the curving stone stairs and ceiling of the dungeon in pen and ink on a gray background with only the people in color -- such a contrast to all the illustrations of radiant color and glimmering gold. Exquisite!

Diego Rivera

2011-11-21T00:02:00.000-08:00

His World and Ours

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by books together

Abrams Books for Young Readers

(pub. 5.1.2011) 40 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor and illustrator: Duncan Tonatiuh

C haracter: the artist Diego Rivera

O verview from the jacket flap:

"Diego Rivera, one of the most famous painters of the twentieth century, was once just a mischievous little boy who loved to draw. But this little boy would grow up to follow his passion and greatly influence the world of art ...
Duncan Tonatiuh, who has also been inspired by the art and culture of his native Mexico, asks, if Diego was still painting today, what history would he tell through his artwork? What stories would he bring to life? Drawing inspiration from Rivera to create his own original work, Tonatiuh helps young readers to understand the importance of Diego Rivera's artwork and to realize that they too can tell stories through art."

T antalizing taste:

     "'Diego imagined everyone - men and women, boys and girls, of all ages and nationalities - living together and caring for one another. Today Diego is not around to make this happen. So it is up to us to make our own murals and bring them to life."

and something more:   I was intrigued by the author/illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh's inspiration for Diego Rivera - His World and Ours as he described in the Author's Note:
        "What I admire most about Rivera is the way in which he looked back at the art of ancient Mexico and was able to incorporate some of its aesthetic into his own work. He combined that ancient art with the art of the modern era and was able to create something new and exciting, but also relevant to an entire nation In my artwork I look back to ancient Mexican at also. I combine these ancient art styles with the art of the digital era. I remember standing on the stairs of the National Palace in Mexico, looking at Rivera's mural and thinking what would he paint nowadays? What would he paint in the world of cell phones and the web 2.0? And with that thought this book was ignited."
          What a great idea for a picture book -- to not only describe Diego Rivera and his art, but to compare the focus of Rivera's art to modern day activities (such as factory workers on production lines compared to students plugged into music and computers). It made me wonder, what might the focus of other artists be if they painted today? Perhaps Degas' hip hop dancers? Any other ideas?

Drawing From Memory

2011-11-13T00:02:00.000-08:00

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Playing by the Book

Scholastic Press

(pub. 9.1.2011) 72 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor and illustrator: Allen Say

C haracter: himself - Caldecott Medalist Allen Say

O verview from the jacket flap:

"This is Allen Say's own story of his path to becoming the renowned artist he is today. Shunned by his father, who didn't understand his son's artistic leanings, Allen was embraced by Noro Shinpei, Japan's leading cartoonist and the man he came to love as his 'spiritual father.' As World War II raged, Allen was further inspired to consider questions of his own heritage and the motivations of those around him. He worked hard in rigorous drawing classes, studied, trained and ultimately came to understand who he really is."

T antalizing taste:

     "'You are going to the great land of freedom,' he said. 'But remember that no man is entirely free of anything. Artists are bound to their art. Be true to your art, Kiyoi, and journey well.'
   'Show them how good you are,' Tokida said, and he gave me a smile to remember.
   'Good-bye, brother. Good-bye, Sensei.' I was glad they didn't look back. I was sobbing in public."

and something more:   I was fascinated not only by the autobiographical story of Allen Say and his artistic journey and connections, but also by the format of Drawing From Memory -- part memoir, part graphic novel, part narrative history, complete with photographs and illustrations by Allen Say.
   In the touching Author's Note, Allen Say refers to an old Japanese saying he first heard from his mother - "Let your dear child journey." I think that's so lovely, and truly a goal for me as a children's book author. And I echo the wish for all creative people, especially children's authors,"Be true to your art ... and journey well."

The East-West House

2011-10-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

The East-West House
Noguchi's Childhood in Japan

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Jean Little Library

Lee & Low Books

(pub. 8.1.2009) 28 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor and illustrator: Christy Hale

C haracter: artist Isamu Noguchi

O verview from the jacket flap:

"Isamu was a boy of the East and the West. Born in the United States to a Japanese father and Scoth-Irish American mother, Isamu grew up in Japan. From his earliest years he felt the tug of his biracial heritage, never quite fitting in or thinking he belonged. Pleasure came, however, from the natural world... Noguchi created a vast array of innovative sculptures, stage sets, furniture, and public spaces. The East-West House is a tribute to the artistic beginnnings of this pioneering modern sculptor and designer."

T antalizing taste:

"With the world in his hands his imagination soared. And where emptiness once lived, Isamu created home."

and something more:

Two of my Bay Area writer friends, Amy Novesky and Amy Gibson suggested the picture book biography, The East-West House, for my blog written and illustrated by another local author, Christy Hale. Christy's lyrical text and Japanese-inspired illustrations captivated me as I learned about Noguchi's childhood and the influences which contributed to his beautiful sculptures.

I've always been fascinated that Noguchi collaborated with the modern dancer pioneer, Martha Graham, and designed theater sets for her performances. I liked what Christy says in the back matter: Noguchi's sets "allowed dancers and objects to move freely through space. Noguchi came to think of sculpture as more than just static, three-dimensional objects. His sculptures expressed movement. They presented different views and changing patterns of light and shadow, and gave space a sense of depth." The perfect type of setting for modern dance!

Around the World on Eighty Legs

2011-10-24T00:13:00.000-07:00

Around the World on Eighty Legs:
Animal Poems

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Apple With Many Seeds

Scholastic Press

(pub. 3.1.2011) 56 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Amy Gibson
and illustrator: Daniel Salmieri

C haracters: animals from around the world

O verview from the jacket flap:

"Pack your bags and put on your travelin' shoes ... There's an animal adventure waiting for you! Awake with the howler monkeys, twist into a pretzel like a quetzal, hang with a sloth, be willy-nilly like a chinchilla.

Squawk with an auk, bump your rump like a camel, be silly with a bilby, and drift off to sleep in the deep of the outback.

Fun-filled and fact-packed, Around the World on Eighty Legs is the ticket to an unforgettable adventure!"

T antalizing taste:
WEDDELL SEAL

"The Weddell seal's

a poor landlubber,

lumbering under

all that blubber.

But in the sea,

the joke's on you -

He's toasty warm.

You're turning blue."

and something more:   I met the wonderful children's book author, Amy Gibson, this past weekend at the northern California SCBWI Fall Conference held at Mills College. Amy and I were on a panel together, and the other terrific speakers included agent Deborah Warren (East/West Literary Agency), editor Andrea Welch (Beach Lane Books), senior editor Schuyler Hooke (Random House Books), agent Paul Rodeen (Rodeen Literary Management), and children's book authors Deborah Lee Rose, Eric Elfman, Nikki Smith, Naheed Hasnat, Rose Cooper, and Diana Greenwood.
   Amy spoke about the road to the publication of this fun and informative picture book, Around the World on Eighty Legs. And thank goodness the book was published because kids, families, teachers and librarians will love this "trip around the world."
     The "Menagerie of Facts" at the back of the book is filled with intriguing information about all the animals. I loved these facts about the Weddell seal -- "Weddell seals spend lots of time beneath the ice, diving over 2,000 feet and holding their breath for over an hour. They look like they're smiling. Perhaps they are ..." Of course, I had to search for Google images of the Weddell seals ... and they DO look like they are smiling!

Odetta

2011-10-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Queen of Folk

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Practically Paradise

Scholastic House
(pub. 12.1.2010) 40 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor of the idea and Illustrator: Stephen Alcorn

and Poem: Samantha Thornhill

C haracter: Odetta

O verview from the jacket flap:

"Born in Birmingham, Alabama, this child soon learned to make a whole heap of noise on her auntie's piano. Then she discovered her own instrument - a voice full of brass and thunder! And, oh, did she have songs to sing - spirituals gospel, and work songs. With the help of Baby her guitar, Odetta blazed a musical trail for a generation of folksingers. Her life and times are presented here in a poetic narrative embellished with luminous paintings that create a loving tribute to folk music's queen."

T antalizing taste:

"Odetta found freedom by accident the day she opened her mouth, then closed her eyes and sang. For once she saw no color. That's when she shook hands with Harmony!"

and something more: "Ode to Odetta" at the end of Odetta - The Queen of Folk includes a wonderful photo of Odetta and Stephen Alcorn taken by his wife, Sabina Alcorn. I was fascinated to learn that "Odetta is the one Bob Dylan credits for his decision (made while still a teenager) to trade in his electric guitar for an acoustic one, thus heralding his entry into the realm of folk music." What a gift that was to music!

Dream Something Big

2011-09-26T00:03:00.000-07:00

The Story of the Watts Towers

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted *here today*
by True Tales & A Cherry On Top

Links to wonderful books and reviews
are listed below! Thanks for joining us!

Dial Books for Young Readers (Penguin)

(pub. 8.18.2011) 40 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Diana Hutts Aston
and collages: Susan L. Roth

C haracters: Simon Rodia and the Watts Towers

O verview from the publisher:

"Uncle Sam's dream began with something tiny - just one single chip of broken tile that he found on the street. But that little chip became the first building block to a U.S. National Landmark. Day after day, year after year, a young girl named Marguerite watches Uncle Sam turn thousands of seashells, tiles, mirrors, and rocks into a group of glorious, nearly 100-foot-tall towers - which later become known as the Watts Towers..."

T antalizing taste:

       "Uncle Sam was like a spider weaving his web of steel and cement and lacy shadows.'"

and something more: I learned that the illustrator of this picture book biography, Susan Roth, who now lives in NYC studied art at Mills College. My connections to Mills College are that my mother-in-law studied there, and in October I'll be on a panel at the norcal SCBWI conference there. It's such a lovely campus and always a treat to be there.
   I was intrigued to read about Susan Roth's collage illustrations, as described on her website: "All but the first two of her 40 books are illustrated with cut and torn papers from all over the world, and bits of many other things, too: threads, fabrics, wood shavings, photographs, doilies, insides of envelopes, dried flowers. She is always looking for things to glue onto her pictures that she hopes are full of surprises."
     And it's always so interesting to hear about someone's passion, collage in Susan Roth's case: "I don't paint. Over the years I have developed my collage technique into one which is exclusively faithful to cutting and tearing. From the most complete background papers to the tiniest dots of eyes and I's, I only cut or rip. This has become a real issue for me. I wear my 'no pencils, pens nor paints' sign like a badge of honor." The descriptions of her workspace reminded me of photos of Romare Bearden's studio -- paper and materials everywhere. The makings of creativity!

**********************************************************

This week's Nonfiction Monday Round-up is *here*
at True Tales & A Cherry On Top!

Please use Mr. Linky and then add a comment, too.

Thanks for joining the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up!

Jim Henson

2011-09-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

The Guy Who Played with Puppets

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Tales from the Rushmore Kid

Random House
(pub. 8.23.2011) 40 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Kathleen Krull

and Paintings: Steve Johnson and Lou Fancherr

C haracter: Jim Henson

O verview from the jacket flap:

"What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher? A poet? The president? Well, Jim Henson wanted to play with puppets. If you want to make the world a better place, making people happy is a great way to start ..."

T antalizing taste:

"Jim hesitated. The show had a weird name - Sesame Street. Joan [the TV producer] explained that just as the command 'Open Sesame' in the old Arabian tale opened a door to treasure, she wanted her show to open doors in young minds. Jim wasn't sure he wanted to limit his Muppets to children. But years of watching his own children convinced him... Maybe TV could be a good influence."

and something more:
Kathleen Krull was awarded the 2011 Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award, and I liked what the site said about her writing and biographies: "What draws her to writing biographies? As a self-confessed 'nosy' person, Krull enjoys researching the details that spice a life and offer insight into personality and accomplishments. But biographies also 'fill a great need,' she says. 'We read them to find out who we are.' By discovering how we resemble and differ from others, be they ordinary or extraordinary, says Krull, we learn 'something about our own identity, our goals, our possibilities in life.' She considers it a privilege to help young readers in this search." I couldn't agree more!

Orani

2011-09-12T00:12:00.000-07:00

My Family's Village

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Wrapped in Foil

Frances Foster Books (Farrar Straus Giroux)

(pub. 7.19.2011) 40 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor and illustrator: Claire Nivola

C haracter: Claire Nivola and Orani, her childhood village

O verview from the jacket flap:

"As a child, Claire Nivola loved visiting Orani, a tiny village nestled among the mountains of central Sardinia in the heart of the Mediterranean. It was there that her father had been born, one of ten children in a family so poor that he had to share a bed with five of his siblings. And it was there, when Claire returned with him years later, that she learned about life and death, about the ways of nature and of the human family..."

T antalizing taste:

"More cousins appeared and we scattered like birds. Our sandals clattering on the paving stones, we flew along the alleys - up to the right, down sharply to the left, out into the blazing brightness of a piazza."

and something more:
I savored Claire Nivola's description of her village in the Author's Note in Orani My Father's Village: "Orani was a complete world and just the right scale for a child. Everything happened there - all the tragedies and joys - but they happened in a contained place, among family and neighbors, where everyone knew and cared so that as a child I could comprehend and feel that each part fit into life's whole. It was there that I saw where the things I ate came from - the tree, the plant, the animal - and how each food was made by the work of someone's hands. In Orani, I felt at the literal source of everything, and how thrilling that was!" And her wonderful detailed illustrations convey this sense of connection.

My Hands Sing the Blues

2011-09-05T08:31:00.000-07:00

Romare Bearden's
Childhood Journey

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Playing By The Book

Marshall Cavendish Children

(pub. 9.1.2011) 40 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Jeanne Walker Harvey
and Illustrator: Elizabeth Zunon

C haracter: Romare Bearden

O verview from the jacket flap:

"As a young boy growing up in North Carolina, Romare Bearden listened to his great-grandmother's Cherokee stories and the whistles of trains steaming through town.
When Romare's family, faced with Jim Crow laws, decided to head north, tears stung Romare's eyes as he watched the world whiz by out the train window. Later he captured his childhood memories in a famous painting, Watching the Good Trains Go By. Using that painting as inspiration and creating a text influenced by the blues and jazz that Bearden loved, Jeanne Walker Harvey has created a story of Bearden's childhood. She describes the patchwork of daily southern life that he saw from the train's window and the story of his arrival in shimmering New York City."

T antalizing taste:

     " I snip a patch of color and add a cut-out face.
      Oh! I glue on jazzy blue for sky and add another face.
      People walk into my work as if it's always been their place.

    My hands sing the blues when I paint and cut and paste.
      I never know what I’ll create when I paint and cut and paste.
      I use paper, fabrics, photos, and nothing goes to waste.”

and something more:   At first I hesitated to write this post about my own book, My Hands Sing the Blues - Romare Bearden's Childhood Journey, which was released this week! But then I decided I wanted to sing about it from the rooftops (and my blog) -- it's such an exciting event for me. A dream come true!
        I first had the idea to write this book in 2004 when, as a docent at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, I gave tours to school groups of an incredible Bearden exhibit organized by The National Gallery (Ruth Fine, curator and author of the comprehensive The Art of Romare Bearden which I studied). During my tours at SFMOMA, I could barely move the students to the next painting because they were so fascinated by Romare Bearden's huge collages and the stories they told.
         So many people have been part of this book journey with me. I dedicated the book to my mom -- "For my mother, June, who always inspires me to put a beat of color on an empty canvas." It's true -- she embodies creativity and instilled a love of it (and modern art) in me. My dear husband and my wonderful sons have always been my biggest supporters and early readers of my drafts. And I also owe heartfelt thanks to my dad, my family and wonderful friends who always encourage me, the San Francisco Docent Program that inspired me to write this book, my writer mentors (including Uma Krishnaswami who kept my writing spark lit when I was doubting myself, and Anastasia Suen whose courses kept me focused and inspired, and Amy Novesky who has included me in the warmth of her writing groups), and Margery Cuyler, an amazing editor at Marshall Cavendish (and author of many children's books also), who artfully guided me to rethink the text in just the right spots, and the incredibly talented artist Elizabeth Zunon, who is truly the best illustrator I can imagine for this book, and Lucy, my 11 year old black Lab who patiently listened as I read my many drafts aloud over and over and over again. Thank you to all!

        "When I put a beat of color on an empty canvas,
                  I never know what's coming down the track."

The Incredible Life of Balto

2011-08-29T00:10:00.000-07:00

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Capstone Connect

Alfred A. Knopf (Random House)

(pub. 8.9.2011) 40 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor and illustrator: Meghan McCarthy

C haracter: Balto, a famous Alaskan dog

O verview from the jacket flap:

"Most people know the story of Balto, the world-famous dog who led his sled team through a blizzard to deliver a liefesaving serum to the stricken people of Nome, Alaska, in 1925. Balto shot to instant stardom - a company named dog food after him, a famous sculptor erected a statue of him that stands in New York's Central Park to this day and the dog even starred in his own Hollywood movie.
But what happened to Balto after the hoopla died down? With a lively, informative text and humorous, vibrant illustrations, Meghan McCarthy captures the extraordinary life of Balto beyond his days as a celebrity."

T antalizing taste:

       "Sadly, Balto and the team were sold again, this time to a man who ran a sideshow. There Balto and the others were all but forgotten. For a dime, people could go into a room and see the once-celebrated dogsled team."

and something more:   As a author of narrative nonfiction picture books, I was fascinated by Megan McCarthy's discussion of her research experiences and how she dealt with contradictory accounts regarding Balto, including what color fur he had. As she explains in her "Detective Work" section at the back of The Incredible Life of Balto, "No matter where information comes from, it gets filtered through many perspectives over time. As a nonfiction writer, I make it my job to take all of the information and piece it together like a giant jigsaw puzzle. But there's more to it than that. I like to choose subject matter that hasn't been covered before or shine a new light on a known topic." Yes! A true tale with a cherry on top, as a I see it.
         Meghan explains her focus for this book: "Many children's books about Balto tout him as a hero, but none mentions the fact that he was essentially abandoned, sold off, and shown as a live attraction in a dime show. What inspired me about Balto's story was the happy ending after all his struggles. I knew that the whole story needed to be told."
         Meghan's student activities included in the book remind me of my high school journalism class. Unbeknownst to us, one day our wonderful teacher, Mrs. Hallenbeck, asked two students to argue and push and shove right before class began. And after we learned that it was a staged argument, we had to write everything we had seen and heard --- we ended up with a roomful of different reports. It certainly made an impression on us regarding the reliability of "eyewitness" reports.

The Bravest Woman in America

2011-08-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Ana's Nonfiction Blog

Tricycle Press (Random House)

(pub. 7.12.2011) 32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Marissa Moss
and illustrator: Andrea U'Ren

C haracter: Ida Lewis, lighthouse keeper

O verview from the publisher:

    "Ida Lewis loved everything about the sea, so when her father became the official keeper of Lime Rock Lighthouse in Newport, Rhode Island, she couldn’t imagine anything better. Throughout the years, Ida shadowed her father as he tended the lighthouse, listening raptly to his stories about treacherous storms, drowning sailors, and daring rescues. Under her father’s watchful eye, she learned to polish the lighthouse lens so the light would shine bright.
        She learned to watch the sea for any sign of trouble. And, most importantly, she learned to row.
        Ida felt ready for anything—and she was."

T antalizing taste:

       "The boys' faces were white with cold, their lips blue. One passed out, lying limp on the bottom of the boat.
        Ida didn't think. She rowed - harder and faster than she ever had. The waves crashed over her head, tilting the boat along a wall of green and gray. Ida kept on rowing, frantic to get them all to safety.
        'I can do it,' she told herself. ' I have to do it.'"

and something more: M arissa Moss' Author's Note in this picture book biography, The Bravest Woman in America, states that Ida Lewis "went on to rescue many more people after that first time when she was sixteen. She was sixty-three when she made her last rescue. Officially, she saved eighteen lives, but the real number may be as high as twenty-five." And, I chuckled at Ida's quote: "Anyone who thinks it is un-feminine to save lives has the brains of a donkey." Gotta love her spunk!

The Firehouse Light

2011-08-15T00:02:00.000-07:00

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by Amy O'Quinn

Tricyle Press (Random House)

(pub. 5.25.2010) 32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Janet Nolan
Illustrator: Marie Lafrance

C haracter: a lightbulb

O verview from jacket flap:

"Here is the true story of a little lightbulb, located in a firehouse, that has stayed lit for more than one hundred years. As horse-drawn carriages make room for automobiles, dirt roads give way to paved streets, and new buildings transform small clusters of homes into bustling neighborhoods, a small town grows and changes. And fighting fires changes, too: fires once fought by bucket brigades and hand-pulled hose carts are now attended by full-time firefighters and modern firetrucks. Yet now, just like then, the lightbulb grows, strong and steady, above the brave firefighters and their trucks."

T antalizing taste:

       "Finding firefighting equipment in the dark was not easy. Then one day a businessman gave the firefighters a gift. No longer would they have to waste time lighting lanterns. A wire burning inside a ball of glass would light the way. Day after day, year after year, the ligthbulb did not burn out...
       Strong and steady, it still glows above the heads of firefighters - it burns when they leave to fight a fire and stays lit after they return."

and something more:   Of course, I had to check out the lightbulb's website which includes a link to a professor of physics and her grad student's interesting research paper regarding this amazing lightbulb that just celebrated its 110th anniversary this past June.
And, as a writer, I'm always curious about the inspiration for books. Janet Nolan, the author of this nonfiction picture book, The Firehouse Light, explained her reaction to the lightbulb story in a Publisher's Weekly interview: "'I walked around in an excited daze for a while... I kept thinking of all the things that have happened—all the things that have been invented and all the wars fought —while this tiny lightbulb kept burning. In our disposable society, it struck me as awe-inspiring.'"
      What a great way for children to think about history and culture -- the transformations in American society and firefighting, and the concept of quality. The grad student's research paper states that the "intention of the [Shelby Electric] company [that developed this particular lightbulb] is not to make lamps to see how cheaply they can be made, but to see how well they can be made." I only live a hour or so from the lightbulb's firehouse -- I'm planning a visit!

Queen of the Falls

2011-08-08T00:02:00.000-07:00

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by Apple With Many Seeds

Houghton Mifflin

(pub. 4.4.2010) 40 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor and illustrator: Chris Van Allsburg

C haracter: Annie Edson Taylor

O verview from jacket flap:

"Come and meet the Queen of the Falls and witness with your won eyes her daring ride!
At the turn of the nineteenth century, a retired charm school instructor named Annie Edson Taylor, seeking fame and fortune, decided to do something that no one in the world had ever done before - she would go over Niagara Falls in a wooden barrel..."

T antalizing taste:

"'When I was nine years old,' she said, 'I stood here with my father, in this very spot. I'd never seen anything like that waterfall. It looked like the end of the world, beautiful and dreadful, all at once.'"

and something more: I thought this book was perfect for today's Nonfiction Monday roundup at Apples With Many Seeds because it has the Canada - United States connection of Niagara Falls. The photograph of Annie Edson Taylor, born in 1838, in Chris Van Allsburg's Author's Note captures the fascination of the picture book biography, Queen of the Falls. In her prim and proper dress, she does not look the part of a daredevil who would squeeze herself into a barrel she designed for her ride over Niagara Falls. I can't imagine just riding down a river in that barrel, much less over the Niagara Falls!

I Dreamed Of Flying Like A Bird

2011-07-31T22:01:00.000-07:00

My Adventures Photographing Wild Animals From A Helicopter

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by Lori Calabrese Writes

National Geographic Children's Books

(pub. 9.4.2010) 64 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor and illustrator: Robert B. Haas

C haracter: Robert B. Haas

O verview from publisher:

"Climb aboard a helicopter with National Geographic photographer Robert Haas... I Dreamed of Flying Like a Bird takes readers across the globe, from the marshlands of Botswana to the frigid waters of Greenland to the jungles of Brazil. Haas’s stunning color photographs bring to life the awesome beauty and pulsating action of nature’s wildest creatures and the thrill of capturing the perfect image from the air. The author’s dream of flying like a bird provides the perfect vantage point for witnessing unusual drama and adventures from a bird’s eye view. This book is a gorgeous, thrilling experience for adventurers of all ages."

T antalizing taste:

"Ever since I was a young boy, I have dreamed of flying like a bird. Aerial photography has allowed my dream to come true. With a helicopter, I can join a winged creature or an entire flock in flight and photograph it from above or by its side... In the jungles of Brazil, we cruised beside two beautiful hyacinth macaws. And over the mudflats of Venezuela, a flock of brilliant scarlet ibises passed just beneath ... I hope to capture from the air exactly what I am looking for - a group of special images to bring back and share with my readers."

and something more: I was drawn to not only the spectacular photographs of wild animals and the photographer Robert Haas' descriptions of his adventure, but also his dedication: "This work is dedicated to dreamers... To children and adults who chase their dreams in life. When we pursue our dreams, whether to become a schoolteacher or an artist or an athlete, we are living our lives to the fullest. We are setting a lofty goal and pursuing that goal with persistence and strength, knowing that there will be setbacks along the way. The world has been changed the most by dreamers ..."
And I also admire that Robert Haas donates his proceeds to The Humane Society of the United States. Bravo!

Fabulous!

2011-07-25T00:02:00.000-07:00

A Portrait of Andy Warhol

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by Check It Out

Christy Ottaviano Books (Henry Holt)

(pub. 5.24. 2011 ) 40 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor and Illustrator: Bonnie Christensen

C haracter: Andy Warhol, the artist

O verview from jacket flap:

"You might recognize Andy Warhol's famous paintings of Campbell's Soup cans and Coke bottles. But do you know about the artist who created these images?
Andy Warhol was often sick as a child, yet found comfort in reading comic books and most especially in drawing. Starting with his early days in Pittsburg in the 1930s and progressing to the height of his glory in the 1960s when he blurred the line between commercial art and fine art, this book chronicles an artist's remarkable path to becoming a renowned Pop Art icon."

T antalizing taste:

       "Just out of art school, Andy Warhol boarded a night train in Pittsburgh. He carried his portfolio of drawings and two hundred dollars. 'You will do something Great! Crazy! Terrific!' his mother predicted...
     'Spot' - the poor, sick, and shy kid from Pittsburgh - ... transformed himself into the Prince of Pop Art. Art that anyone could recognize and understand."

and something more: In this picture book biography, Fabulous! A Portrait of Andy Warhol, Bonnie Christensen's artwork and text capture the artist's essence. Just this week I was studying a self-portrait of Andy Warhol at SFMOMA where I give tours to school groups as a docent. In this self portrait, half of his face is shaded. I often ask children and teens to tell me why they think he chose to paint himself that way, and one response is that it might represent his public vs private side. I plan to share this book and the following thoughts from the Author's Note with students: "Very few people know that Andy Warhol attended church regularly, helped serve Thanksgiving dinners to the homeless, lived most of his adult life with his mother, and possibly suffered from dyslexia or Asperger's syndrome... Full of contradictions, both stated and implied."

Lost Boy

2011-07-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Story of the Man Who Created Peter Pan

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by Chapter Book of the Day

Dutton Children's Books (Penguin)

(pub. 8.5.2010) 40 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Jane Yolen

and Illustrator: Steve Adams

C haracter: J. M. Barrie

O verview from jacket flap:

"People around the world know the story of Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow up, but not many know the story of his creator; J.M. Barrie. Barrie's young childhood was marked by sorrow, but also held great adventure. His adult life and relationship with the Davies family brought about a second childhood that helped him to create his lasting triumph. Masterfully illustrated by Steve Adams and using Barrie's own words, Jane Yolen tells the story of the author and the boys who changed his life."

T antalizing taste:

       "In his own estimation he was pencil-thin, inarticulate in company, and with 'manners, full of nails like his boots.' Nobody but he thought he would make his way in the world.
        'Peter, Peter, you are wasting the faerie dust.' -- from the playlet, Wendy, An Afterthought."

and something more: Of course, I love reading picture book biographies about children's writers, and Lost Boys is compelling with Jane Yolen's wonderful writing and her selection of Barrie's quotes that connect to the story. What a wonderful quote -- "Peter, Peter, you are wasting the faerie dust." So I had to find out more about "Wendy, An Afterthought," the playlet (a term I've never heard before but is just right). As Jane Yolen wrote, "In 1908, a final scene was added to the play, in which a grown-up Wendy lets her child Jane fly off to Neverland with the still-young Peter to help him with his spring cleaning. It was only used for one performance."
   I savored these words about picture book writing from Jane Yolen's website: "There is a subtle dance between art and text which cannot be entirely planned for when the writer begins. A picture book writer needs to remain as supple as a dancer in order to accommodate a partner (the illustrator). It is the book–not just text or art–that has to be whole." And, Jane Yolen's books epitomize the whole.

Django

2011-07-11T00:03:00.000-07:00

World's Greatest Jazz Guitarist

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by proseandkahn

Roaring Brook Press Flash Point (MacMillan)

(pub. 9.1.2009) 32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor and illustrator: Bonnie Christensen

C haracter: Django Reinhardt

O verview from jacket flap:

"'When I think about the best guitar players ever, the first name that comes to mind is Django Reinhardt. No one has ever equaled his sound or technique.' - Willie Nelson

Born into extreme poverty in a gypsy encampment, Django Reinhardt (1910-1953) overcame tremendous obstacles, including a debilitating injury, to become the world's most acclaimed jazz guitarist."

T antalizing taste:

"Djano doesn't hear the chatter
Listening to the saxes sigh.
Trombones moan, clarinets wail
Jazz riffs curling through the night.

Jazz Americain, jazz like Django -
moving bending
changing blending
Try that rhythm, stretch that measure,
syncopation. Twist that line."

and something more: I recently saw Picasso's Guitars exhibit at MOMA in New York, and was struck by the beauty of his various interpretations of guitars, mostly in a cubist style. In the exhibit catalog, I read that although he wasn't particularly interested in music, Picasso was drawn to flamenco music -- the guitar music of Spanish gypsies. And then I found this wonderful nonfiction picture book biography, Django, by Bonnie Christensen about a gypsy guitarist -- isn't it funny how ideas seem to attract similar ideas? Serendipity!

HAPPY 4th of JULY

2011-07-04T00:03:00.000-07:00

It's a holiday! And True Tales & A Cherry On Top is taking a holiday from posting. Hope you enjoy the day!

All Aboard!

2011-06-27T00:03:00.000-07:00

Elijah McCoy's Steam Engine

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Wendie's Wanderings

Tundra Books
(pub. 8.10.10) 32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Monica Kulling
Illustrator: Bill Slavin

C haracter: Elijah McCoy

O verview from jacket flap:

"The year was 1860, and Elijah McCoy, the son of slaves, dreamed of becoming a mechanical engineer. He studied in Scotland, where he learned everything there was to know about engines - how to design them and how to build them. But when he came home to look for work at the Michigan Central Railroad, the only job Elijah could get was shoveling coal into a train's firebox! What Elijah lacked in opportunity, he more than made up for in ingenuity."

T antalizing taste:

       "The engine huffed and puffed. Smoke billowed form its stack. The wheels clacked. The train chugged along for half an hour. Chug! Chug! Chug!
        Everyone wondered when the train would stop. But it didn't. It chugged along for another half hour. And another.
        Elijah McCoy's oil cup worked!"

and something more:   I was drawn to this picture book biography, All Aboard!, about a boy who "had come to Canada on the Underground Railroad" and then eventually became an inventor for the railroads. His parents "saved every penny they could to send Elijah to school. At sixteen, he crossed the ocean to study in Scotland. Elijah had a dream: he wanted to work with machines. He wanted to become a mechanical engineer. And he did. And, as the note at the back states, "He was an inventing marvel. During his lifetime, he filed 57 patents ... Most of his inventions had to do with engines, but several did not. Elijah invented a portable ironing board, a lawn sprinkler, and even a better rubber heel for shoes." And the expression, the "real McCoy" is based on him! "Other inventors copied Elijah McCoy's oil cup [for train engines], but their drip cups didn't work as well." I love learning about the derivation of expressions.

Keep Your Eye On The Kid

2011-06-20T00:03:00.000-07:00

The Early Years of Buster Keaton

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by Geo Librarian

Flash Point Roaring Book Press (Macmillan)
(pub. 4.1.2008)
32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor and illustrator: Catherine Brighton

C haracter: Buster Keaton

O verview from the jacket flap:

"Nobody could take a fall like Buster Keaton ... When he was three, he joined his parents' stage act. Buster's father would throw him across the stage and shout, 'Keep your eye on the kid!' Years later, the tumbling skills he learned as a child would make him one of the America's most beloved silent-film stars.
Told from Buster's point of view, this beautifully illustrated biography evokes the streets and stages of early twentieth-century America and brings the remarkable childhood of a timeless comedian to life."

T antalizing taste:

"I was a backstage baby. I sat on frogs' knees and I talked to wooden dummies while Dad and Mom did their act. They were called The Keatons, and I was Joe Keaton, like my dad.
Then, one morning when I was fooling around, I took a tumble. Harry Houdini picked me up and gave me my new name. 'Gee, that was some buster the kid took!' You had to know how to take a fall in our business."

and something more: Catherine Brighton's wonderful illustrations, particularly the cover of the picture book biography, Keep Your Eye On The Kid, remind me of Maurice Sendak's illustrations in The Night Kitchen. And when I googled that impression, I found that many other reviewers have had the same thought. This style seems particularly fitting as Buster began his career essentially travelling through the air as part of his family's stage act. And then he became part of an imaginary world -- the world of films where gags portrayed people falling off roofs. in a 1914 interview with the Detroit News, Buster Keaton talked about his work as essentially a stunt actor. He said that the secret was to land limp, like a cat. That comment reminded me of our cat who fell out of our 3rd floor San Francisco apartment and miraculously survived with only a broken toe (which healed in its bright pink cast she wore for a few weeks). Maybe there's a lesson in that -- try to land limp (and keep smiling) when we feel we're getting tossed around.

An Eye for Color

2011-06-13T00:03:00.000-07:00

The Story of Josef Albers

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Books Together

Henry Holt & Company (MacMillan)
(pub. 9.1.09)
40 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Natasha Wing
Art: Julia Breckenreid

C haracter: Josef Albers

O verview from jacket flap:

"As a child in Germany at the turn of the century, Josef Albers loved to watch his handyman father paint doors as if they were an artist's beautiful canvases. When Josef became an artist himself, it was the forms and colors in the world around him that inspired him most. He reduced an image to its simplest shapes: Buildings became blocks of color.
Then Josef made an incredible discovery: He could alter the entire mood of a painting jut by changing the way he combined the colors! Color could make one shape jump out at the viewer while another shape seemed to hide in the background..."

T antalizing taste:

       "For twenty-seven years, Josef created images of squares - more than a thousand of them! For him, there was no end to what he could learn about color.
   'I'm not paying homage to a square,' said Josef. 'It's only the dish I serve my craziness about color in.'
   Today, his squares hang in art galleries around the world, showing that color alone - as simple as it is - can be an exciting form of art."

and something more:   I thought it was fitting to focus on a biography of an artist for today's Nonfiction Monday roundup at Books Together which includes a focus on "art and museums in children's books." As a docent for school groups at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, I often include Albers' paintings in my tours when we talk about the impact of color. I now plan to tell students the wonderful background provided in this terrific picture book biography, An Eye for Color - The Story of Josef Albers. Although I love minimalist and abstract paintings, it can tricky to explain them and answer the question, "Why is THIS painting in a museum? I could do that!" I love the story of Albers becoming transfixed by the adobe buildings in Mexico: "Their flat roofs and smooth, sun-dried mud surfaces were both simple and bold. Over and over again, Josef painted nothing but rectangles. Long rectangles. Tall rectangles. Rectangles within rectangles - all in different combinations of colors." And, of course, it's delightful learning that the author, Natasha Wing, actually lived next door to Josef Albers in Orange, Connecticut!

Pablo Neruda

2011-06-06T00:03:00.000-07:00

Poet of the People

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by Chapter Book of the Day

Henry Holt and Company (Macmillan)
(pub. 3.29.2011)
32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Monica Brown

and illustrator: Julie Paschkis

C haracter: Pablo Neruda

O verview from the jacket flap:

"Once there was a little boy named Neftali, who loved wild things wildly and quiet things quietly... Neftali discovered the magic between the pages of books. When he was sixteen, he began publishing his poems as Pablo Neruda.

Pablo wrote poems about the things he loved - things made by his artist friends, things found at the marketplace, and things he saw in nature. He wrote about the people of Chile and their stories of struggle. Because above all things and above all words, Pablo Neruda loved people."

T antalizing taste:

"From the moment he could talk, Neftali surrounded himself with words that whirled and swirled, just like the river that ran near his home in Chile ...
He always wrote in green ink - the color of the ferns in the forest and the grass beneath his feet."

and something more: The ribbons of English and Spanish words in the beautiful illustrations by Julie Paschkis are so evocative of poetry in this terrific picture book biography, Pablo Neruda Poet of the People, by Monica Brown. They remind me of teaching Pablo Neruda's poems to my 7th grade students -- they particularly enjoyed composing their own odes (with much creativity and variety) after studying the rich language in Neruda's odes, such as "Ode to a Large Tuna in the Market" or "Ode to an Artichoke." When my son was volunteering with Habitat for Humanity in Chile, he visited Pablo Neruda's home in Santiago and was amazed by its color and creativity (befitting for such an amazing poet).

Before There Was Mozart

2011-05-30T00:03:00.000-07:00

The Story of JOSEPH BOULOGNE,

CHEVALIER de SAINT-GEORGE

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by History With A Twist

Schwartz & Wade (Random House)
(pub. 1.25.11)

40 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Lesa Cline-Ransome

and Illustrator: James E. Ransome

C haracter: Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-George

O verview from publisher:

"The musical superstar of 18th-century France was Joseph Boulogne ... After traveling from his native West Indies to study music in Paris, young Joseph is taunted about his skin color. Despite his classmates' cruel words, he continues to devote himself to his violin, eventually becoming conductor of a whole orchestra. Joseph begins composing his own operas which everyone acknowledges to be magnifique. But will he ever reach his dream of performing for the king and queen of France?"

T antalizing taste:

"During one performance, a young man sat among the crowd, enthralled. The unusual melody at the end of one of Joseph's pieces stayed with him long after the playing had stopped. Brimming with inspiration, he returned home to Vienna, where he began work on his Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat Major for violin and viola. The young man was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart... But though each enjoyed the other's music and they had mutual acquaintances, the two never met."

and something more: The dedication in this book is for "Jeanette Peterson" who brought "the life of Saint-George into our home." Joseph Saint-George "though ... best known for his violin performances ... is also credited with writing fourteen concertos, nine symphonies, eighteen string quartets and six operas." (Lesa Cline-Ransome's Author's Note includes additional historical background in this interesting picture book biography, Before There Was Mozart). It's wonderful that more of us will now learn about him!

The Watcher

2011-05-23T00:03:00.001-07:00

Jane Goodall's Life with the Chimps

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Great Kid Books

Schwartz & Wade Books
(pub. 4.5.2011)
48 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor and illustrator: Jeanette Winter

C haracter: Jane Goodall

O verview from jacket flap:

"Little Jane Goodall loved to watch all the animals in her world - the earthworms and insects, bird and cats. She loved to read about Dr. Doolittle, who could talk to animals.
When she grew up, Jane followed her dream and traveled to Africa to study chimpanzees. She watched them, she listened to them, and, in time, she became their friend."

T antalizing taste:

"And when she went back to civilization to speak out for the chimps, Jane carried with her the peace of the forest -- the forest in Gombe where she talked to the animals like Dr. Doolittle, and walked unafraid like Tarzan, and watched and wrote, and opened a window for us to the world of the chimpanzees."

and something more: Jeanette Winter, the author of this wonderful picture book biography, The Watcher, writes in A Note About This Story, "I wish that when I was a little girl, I could have read about someone like Jane Goodall -- a brave woman who wasn't afraid to do something that had never been done before. So now I've made this book for that little girl, who still speaks to me." So nicely said. And isn't that what we, as writers for children hope to do -- connect to the child within all of us.

For the Love of Music

2011-05-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Remarkable Story of
MARIA ANNA MOZART

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Shelf-employed

Random House
(pub. 2.8.2011)

32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Elizabeth Rusch

and Paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher

C haracter: Maria Anna Mozart

O verview from publisher:

"By the time she was 12, she was considered one of the finest pianists in Europe, but today few people know her name. Maria Mozart, like her famous brother Wolfgang, was a musical prodigy. The talented siblings toured Europe, playing before kings and empresses ... They were best friends, collaborators, and confidantes. As they grew older, Wolfgang was encouraged to pursue his musical ambitions, while Maria was told she must stop performing and, ultimately, marry. But she was determined to continue playing the piano every day, for the love of music."

T antalizing taste:

"The house was silent, but Maria and Wolfgang imagined a symphony that sounded like laughter, like whispering secrets in three languages, like children at a court dance."

and something more: Elizabeth Rusch, the author of this fascinating picture book biography, For the Love of Music, writes in her author's note (called the "Encore" in keeping with telling the story in sonata form): "When she was in her seventies, Maria [Anna Mozart] went blind and lost the use of her left hand. But she continued to play her piano, the very instrument she and Wolfgang had played together as children... Found on the piano were scores from her brother's operas Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute, probably the last music she every played." One wonders what pieces of her own might have been found resting on her piano if Maria had been given the same opportunities as her brother to pursue her musical talent.

You Can't Do That, Amelia!

2011-05-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday

hosted today by Jean Little Library

Calkins Creek Books (Boyds Mills Press imprint)

(pub. 9.1.2008)

32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: Kimberly Wagner Klier
Illustrator: Kathleen Kemly

C haracter: the young Amelia Earhart

O verview from book flap:

"Young Amelia is a dreamer. She dreams of building her own roller coaster, learning to fly her own airplane, and even exploring the skies as one of the world's first female pilots. But girls in the early twentieth century do not do such things. When Amelia tells her friends and family of her adventurous plans, they only shake their heads and say, 'You can't do that, Amelia!'
Amelia is not discouraged. With every dream, she takes a chance and dares ...
Whimsically illsutrated by Kathleen Kemly, You Can't Do That, Amelia! captures the spirit of a young Amelia Earhart... and will leave young readers inspired to follow their dreams and reach for the skies."

T antalizing taste:
"Amelia was a dreamer. She dreamed from the first light of the morning sun to the last lights of the night's stars."

and something more: Kimberly Wagner Klier, the author of this inspiring picture book biography, You Can't Do That, Amelia, and the Editor of Calkins Creek Books, Carolyn P. Yoder, include a wealth of information and research sources in the back matter. The About Amelia section includes this "can do" quote by Amelia (from one of her final notes in her book Last Flight, published after her disappearance): "'Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others."

In the Belly of an Ox

2011-04-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

The Unexpected Photographic Adventures
of Richard and Cherry Kearton

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by Writing Nonfiction for Children

Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
(pub. 11.16.2009)

32 pages

Ages 5 to 8

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor and illustrator: Rebecca Bond

C haracters: Brothers Richard Kearton and Cherry Kearton

O verview from book flap:

"They would have to be sneaky and clever. They would need veils and disguises [including a hollow ox]. And they would probably have to endure hunger and thirst, insect stings and rainstorms, and wade through bogs, and rope down precipitous cliffs.

But if the brothers succeeded, they would accomplish something no one ever had before.

With inspired prose and paintings, this book tells the true story of how two brothers from the hills of Yorkshire became known as the most innovative bird photographers of all time."

T antalizing taste:
"All of a sudden, because of [the Keartons' book] British Birds' Nests, in the country and cities and reaches beyond, people were out looking for birds and their nests. And instead of stealing the nests, or even plundering them for their egg trophies, curious observers were now content to identify the nests and eggs and birds and to leave the eggs in their nests to hatch."

and something more: Rebecca Bond, the author and illustrator of this delightful picture book biography, In the Belly of an Ox, was born in Vienna, Austria, but raised in the tiny village of Peacham in northeastern Vermont. She spent summer days building forts and rafts and still feels defined by the rural environment of her childhood. As she wrote, "It was through this world of hilly landscapes and marked seasons that I became someone who loves to read and watch and draw."
Just recently, a dear friend took me on my first official birdwatching outing, and I was so pleased when she showed me how to distinguish between a male Bufflehead (with its striking patch of white against black on its head) and a Hooded Merganser (also with oval white cheek patches but more of a pompadour look).
Birdwatching reminds me of what we seek to do as writers -- pause and pay attention to the details, and then find just the right words, as did the naturalist, John Burroughs: "When nature made the blue bird she wished to propitiate both the sky and the earth, so she gave him the color of the one on his back and the hue of the other on his breast."

The Brothers Kennedy

2011-04-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

John * Robert * Edward

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by The Cat and the Fiddle

Simon & Schuster
Books for Young Readers

(pub. 1.26.2010)

40 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: KATHLEEN KRULL
and Illustrator : AMY JUNE BATES

C haracters: John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Edward Kennedy

O verview from book flap:

"Three extraordinary men lived three extraordinary lives, but first they were just brothers. John, Robert, and Edward were raised with the belief that they could change things for the better, and one by one, they did just that. Through tragedies and triumphs these men worked to right the wrongs they saw around them [and] they couldn't have done it without one another."

T antalizing taste:
"In 2008 Edward's doctors warned him that he was too ill to travel. But back in the 1960s his brother Robert had predicted that a black president would be elected within forty years. Edward was not going to miss seeing Barack Obama accept his presidential nomination.
      'For me this is a season of hope,' Edward said in his own speech that night. 'New hope for a justice and fair prosperity for the many, and not just for the few.'"
     ...Hope, compassion, and loyalty - the brothers Kennedy inspired these in one another.
     And so they have inspired others ever since."

and something more: Kathleen Krull's terrific picture book biography, The Brothers Kennedy, weaves together the stories of the three brothers and explains the significant influence of their parents and extended family. The back matter of the book provides more information about their considerable contributions.
I had forgotten that President John Kennedy started the Peace Corps "as a way of bringing hope to the poorest countries in the world," and it "is still going strong after almost fifty years, with some two hundred thousand volunteers having served." I'm proud to add that my niece will soon be leaving for Nicaragua to serve in the Peace Corps. As Robert Kennedy said, "Each time a man [or woman] stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope."

Biblioburro

2011-04-11T00:02:00.000-07:00

A True Story from Columbia
This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by Apples With Many Seeds

Beach Lane Books (Simon & Schuster)

(pub. 6.8.2010)

32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor and illustrator: JEANETTE WINTER

C haracter: Luis Soriana who lives in La Gloria, Columbia

O verview from book flap:

"Join Luis and his trusty burros, Alfa and Beto, as they travel far and wide to bring treasured books to eager children in the remote villages of rural Columbia.

Based on the inspiring life of a real man and his devoted burro team, here is a book to remind us of the immense power stories have to connect us all."

T antalizing taste:
"And far away in the hills, candles and lanterns burn as the children read borrowed books deep into their night, too."

and something more: Jeanette Winter's picture book biography, Biblioburro, with her characteristically simple (in the best sense) text and colorful illustrations, truly captures the power of books to connect to people. A New York Times article (Oct 19, 2008), written by Simon Romero states that the Biblioburro "idea came to [Luis Soriana] after he witnessed as a young teacher the transformative power of reading among his pupils, who were born into conflict even more intense than when he was a child."
The article concludes with the anecdote of an 18 year old young woman who "leafed through a copy of 'Margarita,' the classic book of poetry by Rubén Darío of Nicaragua, and began to read aloud.

She went beyond where the heavens are

and to the moon said, au revoir.

How naughty to have flown so far

without the permission of Papa.

'That is so beautiful, Maestro,” [the young woman] said to the teacher. 'When are you coming back?'"

Come See the Earth Turn

2011-04-04T00:02:00.000-07:00

The Story of Leon Foucault

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by L.L. Owens

Tricycle Press (pub. 9.14.10)
32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: LORI MORTENSEN

and Illustrator: RAUL ALLEN

C haracter: Leon Foucault,

a French scientist in the 1800s

O verview from book flap:

"A sickly child, a poor student, and a medical school dropout, Leon Foucault seemed an unlikely candidate for greatness. But his ingenious experiment - simple, beautiful, and stunningly original - changed how we see the world.

Scientists knew that the earth turned on its axis. But how could they prove it? Countless experiments had been tried ... and had failed. Then... Leon Foucault ... offered the proof everyone had been looking for.

Discover the improbably story of the man behind the famous Foucault's Pendulum."

T antalizing taste:
"Even though Leon's slowpoke ways got him in trouble at school, working slowly and precisely at home allowed him to make things exactly the way he wanted them to be.

Soon, family and friends marveled over the quiet boy's clever inventions and magnificent contraptions."

and something more: In our fast-paced era, the terrific picture book biography, Come See the Earth Turn, honors a person, Leon Foucault, who took his time and, consequently, proved that the earth turned. And, for a child who also feels he or she is "a tortoise among jackrabbits" at school, Leon Foucault's success will be cheered. As a scientist, he succeeded where others with degrees in physics and mathematics had failed.
I enjoyed reading that the author, Lori Mortensen, as a girl, was surrounded by experiments conducted by her father, a research scientist. I too have chemist parents who were often devising solutions and inventions around our house. Hurrah for innovators!

Nurse, Solider, Spy

2011-03-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

The Story of Sarah Edmonds - A Civil War Hero

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by School Library Journal's
Practically Paradise
Abrams Books for Young Readers

(pub. 3.1.2011)
48 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: MARISSA MOSS

and Illustrator: JOHN HENDRIX

C haracter: Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War hero

O verview from book flap:
"When Frank Thompson sees a poster requesting recruits for the new Union army, he is ready and willing to enlist. Except Frank isn't his real name. In fact, Frank isn't a man - he is really Sarah Emma Edmonds.

At only nineteen years old, Sarah had already been dressing as a man for three years and living on the run in order to escape an arranged marriage. She had tasted freedom, and there was no going back.

Eager to fight for the North during the Civil War, Sarah ... excels as a soldier [and as a nurse]. Because of her heroism, she is asked to become a spy...

This incredible, true story of a brave young woman who makes an unlikely choice to fight for her country is one that should not be lost to history."

T antalizing taste:
"Freedom, she knew, wasn't something to take for granted. It was something to fight for, to cherish.

And so long as her heart was beating strong, that's just what she would do."

and something more: The picture book biography, Nurse, Soldier, Spy, is a perfect book to wrap up this month's celebration of Women's History Month. As Marissa Moss wrote in the Author's Note, Sarah Emma Edmonds Seelye "became the first and only woman to be recognized as a veteran of the Civil War with an honorable discharge and to receive a pension and back pay for her service. She was also the only woman invited to join the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), the association for Civil War veterans of the Union army... [She] was the only woman to be buried in a military cemetery, in a plot reserved for Civil War veterans."

As John Hendrix' commented in his Artist's Note, he needed to draw Sarah "to look different from the other characters in the book, but still appear strong and confident in her abilities." Yes! She certainly was a strong and confident woman who not only performed the roles of nurse, solider and spy during the Civil War, but also, after the war, worked with her husband to improve the lives of others in a number of good causes.

Fearless

2011-03-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

The Story of Racing Legend Louise Smith

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by The Children's War

Dutton Children's Books
(pub. 10.14.2010)
32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: BARB ROSENSTOCK
and Illustrator: SCOTT DAWSON

C haracter: Louise Smith, race car driver

O verview from book flap:
"When Louise Smith started to race cars, most girls weren't even allowed to drive. Her first wild adventure behind the wheel of her daddy's Model T Ford taught her the thrill of driving fast and the freedom that comes from fearlessly following your heart...
Scott Dawson's dynamic paintings capture all the energy and excitement of Barb Rosenstock's text. Together they bring life to one of the true legends in car racing history."

T antalizing taste:

     "Louise drove for eleven years. She won thirty-eight times. She was the first woman elected to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame - forty-three years after she stopped racing.
     As Louise got old, walking got harder, but driving never did. Wearing rhinestone bifocals, sparkly earrings, and hair piled high on her head, Louise pushed her sedan to the limit ...
     FAST! FASTER! FLYING!
   FREE!
                                        FEARLESS!"

and something more: FEARLESS is another picture book biography to celebrate Women's History Month.   Louise Smith stopped racing cars for the same reason Tillie Anderson stopped racing bikes (as I talked about in my post about the picture book biography, Tillie the Terrible Swede): women were banned from racing.
      Barb Rosenstock writes in the Author's Note that "Louise was not only the only woman at the track on those wild summer nights, but there were very few... From the mid-1950s until the mid-1970s, women were banned from the track on the grounds that it was too dangerous for them. Some still raced in ladies races at small tracks around the country, but usually women were allowed to participate only as beauty queens."
     It's another reason we need to celebrate Women's History Month -- to remember these women who were pioneers in their fields, but were then banned from pursuing their passion.

Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean

2011-03-14T00:02:00.000-07:00

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by Chapter Book of the Day

Disney Hyperion (pub. 2.2.2010)
96 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: SARAH STEWART TAYLOR

and Illustrator/cartoonist: BEN TOWLE

C haracter: Amelia Earhart, pilot and aviation pioneer

O verview from book flap:
"Amelia Earhart developed a love of flying at a very young age What began as a simple joy became something much deeper - a commitment to open doors for all women... In Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean, Taylor and Towle focus on Amelia's triumphant crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in 1928, offering us a glimpse of her relentless ambition and her tireless will to promote women's rights..."

T antalizing taste:

December 1920 Daugherty Field Long Beach, California
   "Dad, I'd... I'd like to go up. What do you think?"
   "Are you sure? It's dangerous, Amelia. These planes are always crashing, you know."
     "Just to try it. Please, Dad."
     "All right. I'll see how much it costs. Ahoy! You there!... My daughter would like to go for a ride. How much?
     "Your daughter?
     "My daughter.
   "You sure, mister?"
     "Yes."
   "Ten dollars for ten minutes.
     "Be here tomorrow at nine.

The next morning [illustrations of Amelia going up in airplane with pilot.]
     [Man on the ground to Amelia's father] "Girl's got moxie. Ya don't mind me sayin.'
     [Amelia's father]: "That's my Amelia."

and something more: I diverged from reviewing picture book biographies to include this graphic novel to fit within the scope of today's Nonfiction Monday host, Chapter Book of the Day. And, I was intrigued to read it because it's one of several cartoon biographies presented by The Center for Cartoon Studies. Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean celebrates Women's History Month. The introduction to the graphic novel is written by Eileen Collins, a former NASA astronaut and the first female pilot of a Space Shuttle in 1991 (and later the first woman commander in 1999). Eileen Collins describes the impact Amelia Earhart had on her career, and quotes her: "'The most difficult thing is the decision to act; the rest is merely tenacity ... You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life."
     Eileen Collins recounts that she was given one of Amelia Earhart's scarves by Carol Osborne, an aviation historian. NASA arranged to have the scarf "carefully folded and vacuum-packed in clear plastic along with the other special items my crew members had arranged to have on board. I took a great deal of comfort and pride knowing that one of Amelia Earhart's possessions was part of my first space mission. Shortly after I returned to Earth, I made sure to get the scarf, along with a whole lot of gratitude, back to Carol Osborne. It is now among Amelia's treasured goods."
   And just as Amelia Earhart was a role model for Eileen Collins, Eileen Collins is now returning the favor by being a role model for today's girls with a dream.

Soar, Elinor!

2011-03-07T00:02:00.000-08:00

This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by Picture Book of the Day

Farrar Straus Giroux (pub. 10.12.2010)
40 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: TAMI LEWIS BROWN

and Illustrator: FRANCOIS ROCA

C haracter: Elinor Smith, pilot and aviation pioneer

O verview from book flap:
"Plucky Elinor Smith was six years old when she first went for a ride in a rickety 'flying machine.' At ten, she was taking flying lessons ... By the time she was seventeen, she had become the youngest licensed pilot in the United States, male or female, and earned the respect of famous pilots like Charles Lindbergh.

Elinor dreamed of making her living as a professional pilot, but not everyone thought that girls should fly. When male pilots and newspapermen mocked her, Elinor decided to perform an aerial maneuver they thought was impossible. It would take training and preparation. But this aviation pioneer was determined to show that with talent, hard work, and plenty of grit, a girl could climb to any height."

T antalizing taste:
     "She'd learned to land only ten days before. Was she ready to fly alone? 'It's now or never,' she thought as she taxied down the runway.
     She climbed to 1,000 feet and leveled off. 'In that instant,' she said, 'I knew I was home and would never turn back.' She practiced banking turns, then glided in to land with a gentle bump.
     She had done it! She had soloed!
   From that moment, Elinor lived to fly. The sky was her playing field; the hum of the wind rushing through her plane's wing wires, her favorite song...
   At sixteen, she was the youngest flier in the United Sates - boy or girl.
     Soar, soar, Elinor!"

and something more: The picture book biography, Soar, Elinor!, is the perfect book to begin this month's celebration of Women's History Month. Elinor Smith flew through the glass ceiling when she fulfilled her dream to become a professional pilot and, in a male dominated field, was named chief test pilot for the Bellanca Corporation, piloted jets and flew paratrooper training missions with the Air Force Association. And, in 2000 at age 89, she became the oldest person to 'fly' the NASA Space Shuttle Simulator.
   A Women's History Month Activity Kit and Teachers Curriculum Guide based on the book are available on the website of the author, Tami Lewis Brown, an attorney and pilot also. The Women's History Month Activity Kit includes a "Guess the Women in History Quiz", a list of other books to celebrate Women's History Month, a word search, a board game, and a crossword puzzle. And, my favorite section of the Activity Kit is the interview with the author and a photo of her with Elinor at age 96. The author had the opportunity to interview Elinor Smith for hours which added such depth and interest to this inspirational book. As Tami Lewis Brown said, "In 1930, The New Yorker Magazine published an article calling Elinor Smith a 'feminist.' Girls like Elinor broke down barriers that gave modern girls the chance to be whatever they want to be." As Elinor Smith said, "Children must be allowed to dream and have a horizon to work toward."
     Elinor truly soared!

Jimi Sounds Like A Rainbow

2011-02-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix

* This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by Rasco From RIF *

Clarion Books (pub. 10.4.2010)
32 pages

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: GARY GOLIO

and Illustrator: JAVAKA STEPTOE

C haracter: Jimi Hendrix, rock 'n' roll guitar player

O verview from the back cover:
     "Jimi Hendrix was a superstar, a rebel, a hero, an innovator. He was bold as love, and colorful as a rainbow. He was one of the greatest guitar players of all time.
     But before he was all these things, he was a boy named Jimmy who loved to draw and paint and listen to records. A boy who played air guitar with a broomstick and longed for a real guitar of his own. A boy who asked himself an unusual question: Could someone paint pictures with sound?
     Told in vivid language and stunningly illustrated, this is a story of a talented child ... a determined kid with a vision, who worked hard to become a devoted and masterful artist. Jimi Hendrix - a groundbreaking performer whose music shook the very foundations of rock 'n' roll... and set the world on fire."

T antalizing taste:
     "He had a rainbow of sounds at his fingertips, and he wanted to paint the world with them...
     Like no one before him, Jimmy Hendrix taught his guitar to sing, scream, laugh, and cry. He learned to use it as an artist uses paint, creating new worlds with the colors of sound.
     To the heart and soul of the blues he added the restless energy of rock 'n' roll...
Dressed in the colors of the rainbow, he played for audiences far and wide, joining fiery sounds with tender feelings and painting the world with his songs."

and something more: The picture book biography, Jimi Sounds Like A Rainbow recently received the 2011 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book award. I enjoyed reading how illustrator Javaka Steptoe sought to reflect Jim Hendrix in his vibrant illustrations: "I thought about guitars - their sound, their vibrations, their look and feel - so I used plywood I found at The RE Store [in Seattle]. I thought about how Jimi saw the world and how that differed from other people's views, so I painted Jimi one way and his surroundings another way. I thought about the depth and texture of his music, so I layered and used bright colors ... rainbow colors."

As Javaka Steptoe also wrote in the Illustrator's Note, "To really know about a person, you have to do things that they did, and see the things they saw." And that makes sense, given that he views himself as an observer. When asked "What inspired you to draw?" (as posted by The Brooklyn Children's Museum), Javaka Steptoe answered with a wonderful anecdote about observing, "...I like observing things. I like observing people ... and I find normal things interesting. Maybe something is a particular color. Let me give you an example. One day I was on a bus and I had a purple jacket on and khaki pants. A woman sat next to me, and she had a khaki jacket and purple pants ... I don't think she noticed. I don't think anyone else on the bus noticed. I just had to tap her on the shoulder, and she just laughed. So that's me."
And, that's why his art rings true with Gary Golio's lyrical text.

A Picture Book of Cesar Chavez

2011-02-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

* This post is part of Nonfiction Monday
hosted today by Three Turtles and Their Pet Librarian *

Holiday House (pub. 7.31.2010)
32 pages Grades 2-4

A True Tale with A Cherry On Top

A uthor: DAVID A. ADLER and MICHAEL S. ADLER

and Illustrator: MARIE OLOFSDOTTER

C haracter: Cesar Chavez, leader of American farmworkers

O verview from the jacket flap: "For Cesar Chavez, dignity always meant more than money. As a child growing up in California during the Great Depression, Cesar picked produce with his family to make ends meet. The work was backbreaking, the pay was very low, and many families, including his, were homeless.

Cesar Chavez later dedicated his life to helping American farmworkers. He argued for better pay and fair working conditions, and was even jailed for his efforts. But he never stopped urging people to stand up for their rights. Young readers will be inspired by the fascinating life story of this champion of social justice."

T antalizing taste: "Cesar's father was often too busy to spend time with his family. It was Cesar's mom who kept them together. She told her children stories. She taught them values and many proverbs, such as 'What you do to others, others do to you.'"

and something more: In honor of Presidents' Day today, I want to highlight Cesar Chavez' 1964 award of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, accepted by his wife. The Picture Book of Cesar Chavez includes President Clinton's tribute to him upon the presentation of the award: "'This remarkable man... with faith and discipline, with soft-spoken humility and amazing inner strength led a very courageous life. And in so doing, he brought dignity to the lives of so many others and provided for us inspiration for the rest of our nation's history.'"
     The Presidential Medal of Freedom was originally established in 1945 by President Truman to honor civilian service during World War II. In 1963, President Kennedy expanded the scope of the award to encompass "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors." (Executive Order 11085)
      I like that this award includes "cultural endeavors". As the artist and architect, Maya Lin (a Presidential Design Award recipient), has expressed, "[A]rt, at times, can look at a subject differently, and in doing so can get people to pay closer attention."
   In 1964, the year Cesar Chavez was honored, the recipients in the creative world included the soprano Leontyne Price, the artist Willem de Kooning, the composer Aaron Copland, and the authors T.S. Eliot, Carl Sandburg and John Steinbeck.
     Last week, President Obama honored the fifteen recipients of the 2010 Presidential Medal of Freedom. The group included three of my favorites in the creative world: the cellist Yo-Yo Ma, the artist Jasper Johns, and the author and poet Maya Angelou.
   As a thought for today, Presidents' Day, here are the powerful concluding words of Maya Angelou's poem, "On the Pulse of Morning", which she recited at President Clinton's 1993 inauguration:

"Here on the pulse of this new day
You may have the grace to look up and out
And into your sister's eyes, and into
Your brother's face, your country
And say simply
Very simply
With hope
Good morning."